Memorabilia
by Sora G. Silverwind
Summary: Keepsakes, snapshots, and memories of a Hero and her biggest fan. 3: In which Pao-Lin has nightmares.
1. Prom

**Memorabilia  
by Sora G. Silverwind**

**Summary: Keepsakes, snapshots, and memories of a Hero and her biggest fan.**

**Rating: PG-13, since these kids are (for the most part) older than when I wrote them in **_**Best Fans Forever**_**.**

**Author's notes: A series of short chapters/stories/etc. serving as some semblance of a sequel to **_**Best Fans Forever**_**. May or may not be in chronological order; really just depends on what I feel like writing.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Tiger & Bunny or Tales of Graces, f'naaaaa. Continual apologies for my massive amounts of headcanon and for the existence of Pao-Lin/Hubert.**

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_**Prom**_

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Pao-Lin paused the game and glanced up at Hubert from her spot on the floor next to his bed, her mouth slightly open with surprise. "Huh? You want me to go to prom with you?"

Hubert managed a weak nod, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor in front of him. At least he wasn't staring in the opposite direction, as he'd been inclined to do before realizing that would look rather suspicious. Though honestly, the question itself was rather suspicious — or at least, _he_ thought it was. It was weirdly fortunate at the moment that Pao-Lin's thoughts didn't naturally run in a romantic sort of direction, because otherwise that look of confusion on her face would probably be a lot more pointed than it was now and then Hubert would definitely be fleeing the premises as quick as his legs could carry him. "Only if it's all right with you. And if you don't, you know, have anything else going on."

"Mmm...I don't think I have anything to do that day. But sometimes stuff comes up at the last minute, even aside from filming episodes, so I'd hate to just up and leave you in the middle of the dance. Anyway, shouldn't you be bringing someone from your school?"

"We're allowed to invite people from other schools." Or people who weren't in school at all, in Pao-Lin's case.

"I see." Her lower lip stuck out slightly in a pout. "I'm going to have to wear a dress, aren't I?"

"W-well...that's what girls usually wear to prom, yeah." Hubert smiled as encouragingly as he could; he'd figured that she'd have an issue with this part of the occasion. "Don't worry — I'm sure Natasha or Blue Rose will help you find something nice."

"But I look terrible in dresses! I'd rather wear a tuxedo or something."

Mentally, Hubert sighed. Pao-Lin would look rather spectacular in a tux, it was true, but...he _really_ wanted to see her in a dress for once. To be fair, he'd seen her wear such things before, but those glimpses — captured in paparazzi photos of Dragon Kid at media events — were few and far in between. And none of them featured her in anything close to typical prom fare, which he was sure she'd look so pretty in. Not that she didn't already look pretty, even just wearing T-shirts and sweatpants or her favorite yellow tracksuit nearly all the time...

But he decided not to press the issue. Her happiness was more important than his.

"I'll check with the teachers and see if it's okay," he said. "I think it should be, though."

She relaxed. "What kind of food are you guys gonna have?"

Yep, he figured she'd be asking about this too. "We're not sure yet; we're still trying to decide on a theme. I think most people are leaning towards something tropical, though, so if that goes through there'll probably be things like fruit and seafood. Maybe even barbecue, though we'd have to figure out how to do it without everyone getting messy. We might get that new Polynesian place on the Gold Stage to cater."

"Whoah, really? Natasha took me a few weeks ago, they were really good!" Pao-Lin nodded excitedly. "Okay! If that's what's gonna be there, I'll definitely go to prom with you!"

Hubert simpered. "But...it's not even official yet..."

"That's okay! I'm sure you'll have something great anyway, since you're the one in charge of prom planning."

He sighed with relief and amusement: relief that she accepted his invitation to be his prom date, and chagrined amusement at her reasoning behind it. "Pao-Lin, I think you're the only girl I know who'd go to a party or a dance just because she heard the food was going to be good."

She flashed him a slightly sheepish grin. "Well, that's usually the only thing I like about formal events and stuff. That, and seeing my friends, if I'm going with the rest of the Heroes or something."

"How many formal events do you go to, anyway? I know there's the end-of-season celebrations for HeroTV..."

"There's usually a couple of charity events I have to go to, though sometimes they want me to wear my Hero costume so I'm more recognizable. My full Hero costume, I mean."

He nodded. "That makes sense. But...I guess otherwise Natasha makes you wear dresses...?"

Pao-Lin grumbled. "She says the sponsors don't like it if I come off too much like a boy. I guess they were kinda okay with it when I was younger, so sometimes I got to wear dress pants and things like that, but since I'm getting older, well...they really want me to be more like a typical girl. More like Blue Rose."

Well. That was...not an entirely unpleasant image. Albeit a strange one, as well. Hubert hummed in thought. "I can understand that, since your sponsors probably just want to make sure you'll be as appealing to as many people as possible. But" — and here he meekly held up a placating hand as Pao-Lin glared at him — "it's _definitely_ not your thing, and they shouldn't be pushing it on you like that when you've done just fine being yourself for the past couple of years. Your fans like you _because_ you're different from Blue Rose."

"Right? If I'm supposed to promote my sponsors, then I need to stand out from all the other Heroes! I can't do that if they try to make me more like Blue Rose." Her shoulders slumped. "You should see some of the costume designs they were thinking of for when I turn sixteen this season. They're all crap, I hate them so much!"

Hubert winced. "Is that what you were upset about the other day?"

She nodded. "They're all so skimpy! How am I supposed to fight like that? I mean, I know Blue Rose has done it for years already, but that doesn't make it any less stupid!" She leaned into the edge of Hubert's bed and stared up at the ceiling with pursed lips. "I wish I worked for Apollon Media instead. Then maybe I'd get a cool mecha suit like Mr. Tiger and Mr. Barnaby. At least Natasha doesn't like the new designs, either."

Not for the first time, Hubert reflected on how hard it was to be a Hero. As if it weren't enough of an ordeal to brave danger on a regular basis, Heroes had to deal with the whims of corporate sponsors who were more interested in the potential advertising than the do-gooding. And that wasn't a problem that could be solved by NEXT powers...unless said NEXT powers had to do with mental manipulation, which was a very questionable way of dealing with the problem. "Really? I thought she'd be happy to get you something, erm, girlier."

"Well, yeah, she wants me to be more 'feminine' and stuff, but she says that the new costumes make me look more like a stripper than a 'young lady'."

Another wince from Hubert. "Wow. They're, uh. That bad, huh?"

"And they want to change my name, too. To 'Dragon Lady' or 'Lady Dragon', or something like that."

He tilted his head. "Those...don't sound too terrible."

"But I'd rather have something that sounds tough, you know? Not that 'Dragon Kid' is a tough-sounding name, or anything." She crossed her arms. "But if they're going to actually change my name, they should give me something cooler."

Hubert rubbed his chin in thought. An upgraded Hero name for Pao-Lin? The thought bordered on blasphemy. She'd just been Dragon Kid to him — and her other fans — for so long. But this dragon couldn't be a kid forever. "I suppose the name would have to incorporate the word 'dragon' somehow, for the sake of consistency." He began running through options in his mind. "What about 'Dragon Storm'?"

Pao-Lin's eyes lit up as she straightened up and looked over at him. "Ooh, I definitely like that! Might be too similar to 'Origami Cyclone', though."

"How about 'Dragon Knight', then? Or 'Dragon Warrior'? Or even 'Dragon Crusher'!"

Blink, blink. "That last one makes me sound like I kill dragons or something. Or like Wild Tiger, since he's 'Crusher of Justice' and all that."

"Ahahaha...sorry. But what about the other two?"

"They're pretty good too, but I really like 'Dragon Storm'. I'll have to ask Natasha about it."

Hubert smiled. "I hope she agrees to let you have it, or something similar to it. But you know...I think it's not just about the name you have. It's what you _do_ with the name that's important, too." He turned a palm outwards. "I mean, 'General Gunblade' is an awesome name, but it's not like I'm doing much with it besides using it as an online handle. So even though 'Lady Dragon' doesn't sound intimidating now, you could _make_ it intimidating."

"I guess you have a point..." Pao-Lin muttered. Her gaze shifted to the floor. "But still...I don't feel like a 'Lady' Dragon, you know?"

Silence.

"...I think you're enough of a lady for it," mumbled Hubert, fidgeting with his hands and feeling himself blush.

"How can I be a lady when I don't even want to wear dresses?" Pao-Lin asked in disbelief.

"Um, well...everyone's unique, right? So...you just have a unique way of being a lady. Or a girl, really. That's all."

Pao-Lin huffed. "I don't think my sponsors see it like that."

Hubert sighed and scratched at the back of his neck. "Sorry...I was just trying to make you feel better." Maybe he should've just kept his mouth shut.

"I know." Her voice was gentle with acceptance. "Thanks." She suddenly turned and draped her upper torso on the edge of the bed, arms flopping onto the mattress. She gazed up at Hubert with innocent eyes. "But really, Hubert, you're more of a girl than I am. Maybe _you_ should wear a dress to prom instead."

He inched away, as though her suggestion was some bug crawling up on his sheets. "I'm not _that_ girly!"

Pao-Lin giggled and rested her head on her shoulder. "It's okay, I'll call Nathan for you. I'm sure he'll help you find something nice!"

"No, that's...!" Hubert grumbled, dismayed at hearing his own words of encouragement being echoed back at him like this. "Look, I don't have a problem with Na — with Fire Emblem wearing whatever he wants to wear, but it's just not me. Just like it's not you."

"Are you sure?" Mischief drew out her last word like a ribbon. "You looked really cute when you had to dress up as the evil queen for that one play."

Oh, god, Hubert had almost forgotten about that. He smacked a palm to his face before gesturing indignantly. "First of all, that was back in second grade, so that doesn't count! Secondly, _how do you even know about that?_"

"Your mom showed me pictures once while I was waiting for you to come home from school."

Why did his mother always insist on showing off or revealing the most awkward parts of Hubert's life? Did the majority of his eighteen years so far really just consist of embarrassment after embarrassment? Wait, on second thought, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear an answer to that question. "Let's just get back to the game," he grumbled, heaving a deep sigh. "I want to see you finish Kani's storyline before you have to go home."

With one last giggle, Pao-Lin picked up her controller and resumed her gaming.


	2. Homework

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_**Homework**_

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**kungpaolin: **heeeeyyy hubert!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Hi Pao-Lin! ^_^ Nice job today, as always  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Especially since you couldn't use your lightning against that NEXT  
**kungpaolin: **hehehe thanx  
**kungpaolin:** yeah it was kind of scary n my sponsors were kinda disapointed i didnt use my powers  
**kungpaolin:** cuz it wasnt " dramatic"  
**kungpaolin:** but wat else was i supposed to do?  
**kungpaolin:** i wasnt gonna just sit around n wait 4 them 2 come back itd take too long  
**kungpaolin: **i think this is good b/c then it shows every1 that i can fight w/o my powers n dont need 2 rely on them  
**kungpaolin:** thats still cool rite?  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Yeah, there was some commentary a little bit after the episode from Crimson Ivy  
**XcoolcaliburX: **She was really impressed  
**XcoolcaliburX:** She said that it's good for Heroes to be able to catch criminals without their powers  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Though she didn't go as far as saying that you could be a Hero without NEXT powers...  
**kungpaolin: **haha dont worry i still say u can ttly be the first non NEXT hero  
**kungpaolin: **w/ your gunblades  
**kungpaolin: **^_^  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Oh right, I looked that up after we talked about it a few nights ago...there's not really anything like it being made that I could find  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I guess maybe I could just have a gun in one hand and a sword in the other  
**XcoolcaliburX: **But it'd be so much cooler and easier to use if you could combine the two into one weapon, I bet  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Sigh  
**kungpaolin: **ure smart u could design it urself  
**XcoolcaliburX: **But you're the artist  
**XcoolcaliburX: **You should design it...  
**kungpaolin: **i meant the sciency stuff! :P  
**kungpaolin: **i can draw stuff but idk about the tech or w/e  
**kungpaolin: **n speaking of science i rly need 2 do this report lol...  
**kungpaolin: **its due tom  
**kungpaolin: **its about the solar system  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Then maybe you should get off IM ^_^;;  
**kungpaolin:** but i wanted to talk 2 u :(  
**kungpaolin:** hey y dont u just rite my report 4 me?  
**kungpaolin: **lol  
**XcoolcaliburX: **WHAT?  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Are you serious?  
**kungpaolin: **u could do it a lot faster than i could, ill just pay u back later, hehe  
**XcoolcaliburX: **That's cheating!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **You should do your own work!  
**kungpaolin: **i was just kidding silly!  
**kungpaolin: **:P  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Oh  
**kungpaolin: **i kno im suposed 2 do it myself...grr  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Don't scare me like that  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Asbel already makes me do his homework sometimes  
**kungpaolin: **really? o.O  
**kungpaolin: **u should tell him to do his own stupid hmwk!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I tried to  
**XcoolcaliburX: **And he always says that it's "just this once"  
**XcoolcaliburX: **He ALWAYS does this to me, it makes me so mad  
**kungpaolin: **hmm  
**kungpaolin: **i kno, ill go beat him up for you :D  
**XcoolcaliburX: **!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **No, that's fine!  
**kungpaolin: **and ill say that if he asks u to do his hmwk again ill zap him!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I'll...figure something out!  
**kungpaolin: ** zap zap zap  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Please don't do that  
**kungpaolin:** lol i was just kidding about that too, id never actually do something as mean as that  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Oh  
**kungpaolin:** if i did that id be a bully not a hero  
**kungpaolin:** tho it still makes me kinda mad for u...  
**kungpaolin:** didnt u say he wanted 2 be a doctor?  
**kungpaolin: **i thought that meant that he was smart n studied a lot  
**kungpaolin: **like u ^_^  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Well, he's not stupid or anything  
**XcoolcaliburX: **He's just lazy and doesn't like to work too much  
**XcoolcaliburX:** He really hates science and math too, so I don't know how in the world he's ever going to make it through medical school...  
**XcoolcaliburX: **~_~  
**kungpaolin: **y does he even want to be a doctor if he hates all that stuff?  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Well, we have a friend who's been sick since she was born  
**XcoolcaliburX: **And she and Asbel are pretty close  
**XcoolcaliburX: **She has to go to the hospital a lot and she can't go out too much because it makes her sickness worse  
**XcoolcaliburX: **She takes lots of medicines, but it's not something that goes away completely  
**kungpaolin:** so asbel wants to cure her one day?  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Something like that  
**kungpaolin: **well thats pretty cool then :)  
**kungpaolin: **but in that case he should definitely do his own work!  
**kungpaolin:** otherwise he cant be a good doctor cuz he didnt learn things himself  
**kungpaolin:** n if ur friend ever found out about him cheating shed be upset rite?  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Yeah, she would  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Hmm  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Maybe I should tell him that the next time he asks  
**kungpaolin: **yeah!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I don't know, though  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Sometimes it feels like the only time he's ever really sorry is when he's caught ~_~  
**kungpaolin: **but u shuld at least try  
**kungpaolin: **n if hes still botherin u ill ttly kick his butt  
**kungpaolin: **IM KIDDING OKAY  
**kungpaolin:** ;)  
**kungpaolin:** i liked asbel when I met him, he was fun  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Well, um...the thought's appreciated, I guess?  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Anyway, this doesn't solve the problem of you needing to do your report  
**XcoolcaliburX: **:|  
**kungpaolin: **well it shouldnt take long i dont think  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Do you have a rough draft done already?  
**kungpaolin: **i didnt start it yet  
**kungpaolin: **but it only has to be 2-3 pgs  
**kungpaolin: **i think?  
**kungpaolin: **OH CRAP no thats the other report i have to do  
**kungpaolin:** the one for science is 4-5 pgs  
**kungpaolin:** crap...  
**XcoolcaliburX: **...you have ANOTHER report?  
**kungpaolin:** yea its for history  
**kungpaolin: **its about medeival japan  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Is that due tomorrow too?  
**kungpaolin: **yea  
**XcoolcaliburX: **...  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I'm signing off  
**XcoolcaliburX: **So you can do your homework  
**kungpaolin:** wat :(  
**kungpaolin: **but idont want to be alone!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I'm going to be around tomorrow night, so it's not like you're not going to see me for a while  
**XcoolcaliburX: **And I can stay up later then because it's a weekend night  
**kungpaolin:** :( :( :(  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Unless there's something important you wanted to talk to me about...?  
**kungpaolin: **haha no not really  
**kungpaolin: **tho itd be nice to be able to ask u questions  
**kungpaolin: **if i had them  
**XcoolcaliburX: **I think you'll be fine ^_^  
**XcoolcaliburX: **You're smart and can figure things out  
**XcoolcaliburX: **And you work hard  
**kungpaolin:** not as smart as u tho!  
**XcoolcaliburX: **You don't give yourself enough credit  
**XcoolcaliburX: **Anyway, good night and I'll talk to you later, okay?  
**kungpaolin: **siiiiigh fine lol  
**kungpaolin: **goodnite~

_XcoolcaliburX has signed off_


	3. Nightmares

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_**Nightmares**_

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Pao-Lin rarely remembered her dreams. Early to bed and early to rise for busy days kept her mind too occupied to dwell much on nocturnal sojourns, and although she was not a girl given to deep contemplation she still had a host of other things to think about whenever lulls occurred in her days (for example, mentally reviewing her kung fu forms during lessons with Natasha). Occasionally, she'd take the wispy residues of a reverie and weave them into conversation with someone, but they were mere embellishments, nothing more. For her, waking life was more interesting and compelling, which was no surprise considering her job. She got the required six to eight hours of sleep as often as she was able, but the activity was only a necessary evil to her.

And when the nightmares invaded, sleep became evil, period.

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The first one came about a month and a half after the demise of Albert Maverick and Dr. Rotwang, in the wake of an ordinary day for Pao-Lin. The nightmare, too, was rather ordinary in light of what would come after, being a straight recap of her experiences inside Rotwang's strange prison. The only thing out of place was that there was suddenly no Kaede to step in and prevent Rotwang from detonating the Heroes' collars.

Pao-Lin woke from that nightmare just as her collar exploded.

Initially stunned by the intensity of the dream, she eventually managed to shake off most of the shock and despair induced by it before going about her day as usual. She told no one about it, believing it to be a one-time deal.

But the nightmare returned a few days later, twisted into a more terrible form.

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_The deep red walls around her._

_The weight of the explosive collar around her neck._

_The stifling isolation of the cell._

_Pao-Lin remembers all of these things from her ordeal._

_But now there's a metallic tang hanging in the air like a criminal from a noose._

_To her horror, Pao-Lin realizes that the reason everything is red around her is because it's covered in blood._

_The screen attached to the ceiling crackles to life, showing Sky High smiling blissfully down at her. "Just give up, Heroes!" he says in Rotwang's voice, raising an emphatic fist. "Really, just give up! There's no way Wild Tiger and Barnaby can win against H-01!"_

_Pao-Lin's collar tightens then, choking off her protestations. She falls to her knees and keels forward, her forehead pressing into the blood coating the floor as she claws at the collar. In a fit of panic, she summons her lightning to try disabling the device, but she only ends up setting it off..._

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She had four nightmares within the next week. The details varied, but the terror was constant. The last one was so bad that she woke Natasha — and herself — up with her screaming.

"Maybe you should take some time off from HeroTV," the older woman gently suggested after coming in to check up on her charge. "No one would blame you if you did."

No one, that is, except Pao-Lin herself. Bad enough that she broke down in tears in her cell while waiting to see if she'd be betrayed by her Hero friends, or if Wild Tiger and Barnaby would fall before H-01. She should've known better, should've trusted in all of them more. At the very least, she should have been strong enough not to cry about it. She was tougher than that.

There were more practical reasons for her to keep going, Pao-Lin believed. If she went on leave now, her sponsors might start to wonder if they should be looking for her replacement, and she didn't want to risk that. And at a time when HeroTV was being racked with controversy as a result of Maverick's televised confessions, Dragon Kid and the rest of the Heroes needed to stand tall and proud to defend the work they did — were _still_ doing — for Sternbild. They couldn't back down, not when they still had fans who believed in them. So she definitely wouldn't.

Especially not in the face of something as stupid as a couple of bad dreams.

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Despite her determination, the nightmares continued to haunt Pao-Lin in the following nights. In a fit of frustration, she decided that the best way to cope was to get by on as little sleep as possible. She was already losing sleep as a result of the nightmares anyway, so why not just bypass it altogether?

So she stopped resting completely through the night. Instead, aided by a smuggled stash of caffeinated energy drinks and a couple of bookmarked series in an online manga reader, Pao-Lin napped in short bursts, forcing herself to get up every so often and go read or do something so she would be less tempted to lie down. Daytime was trickier to deal with because her job required her to be out and about most of the time, but she usually managed to snatch five minutes here and there to at least close her eyes and pretend she was going to crash. Even if she didn't, there was certainly enough excitement in any given episode of HeroTV to keep her from focusing too much on the fact that she was grumpy, drowsy, shaky, and rather a mental wreck most of the time because she was binging on caffeine and forgoing a proper sleep schedule. But no matter — at least the dreams she had while napping weren't as frequent or as visceral before, and the bits that remained when she woke up could be easily dusted away. That was a good trade-off, right?

The problem — which she really should have foreseen — was that she couldn't sustain the schedule for more than a few days at a time. And whenever she would inevitably end up crashing, the nightmares would return as horrifying as ever...

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_There is no collar this time._

_But the spiked walls are closing in on Pao-Lin, threatening to perforate her._

_Natasha's voice issues from the screen above. "Maybe you should kill yourself," she gently suggests. "No one could blame you if you did."_

_That's a stupid thought, of course, but strangely Pao-Lin doesn't feel like arguing. Anyway, there's a gun right there on the floor next to her. She might as well use it. The poor gun might be sad if she didn't._

_So Pao-Lin picks it up, sets it against the side of her skull, and pulls the trigger._

_"..."_

_Nothing happens._

_With a frown, she eyes the gun, wondering if it's even loaded._

_Then her head explodes in a burst of bone and blood and grey matter._

_And as her only intact eye flies through the air and lands on the ground, she can see her headless body slump over like a bag of meat..._

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The days started to smear into a sticky mess of half-hearted tasks, forgotten obligations, and mindless distractions. Night and day were only significant in that things were quieter (almost unnervingly so) once the sun went down. And in spite of her best efforts, Dragon Kid's performance began to suffer on subsequent episodes of HeroTV. Her trademark brand of acrobatic martial arts fell into a coma without the energy and focus needed to bring it to life. If she managed to score points, she was liable to forget the accompanying victory pose intended to show off her sponsors. And there were far more close calls with injuries than there should have been. To say Natasha was extremely concerned would be an understatement.

"This is getting out of hand," she said, her hands on her hips as she looked down on Pao-Lin, who was slouched in one of the chairs in Natasha's office after a rather disastrous episode. "You can't be seen like this. You're making your sponsors look bad!"

Pao-Lin sleepily glared out from behind a ragged curtain of outgrown bangs. "What are they complaining about? I'm still in the third place, aren't I?"

"Just barely. More importantly, even someone like Rock Bison is getting more attention than you right now! I've told you time and time again that it's just as important to show off and be distinctive as it is to score points." A sigh. "I appreciate your commitment to staying on the job, but you're going to get yourself killed out there if you keep this up."

"I'll be fine," insisted Pao-Lin, crossing her arms and turning away from Natasha. "Stop nagging, I can take care of myself."

"Not when you're not getting enough sleep, you can't. And let's be clear about this: drinking can after can of AmpStar and Monster Jolt does _not_ count as 'taking care of yourself'." Natasha huffed with a frown. "I've got half a mind to forbid you from seeing Hubert tonight in favor of making sure you get some sleep, but I know that if I do that, you're just going to go over there anyway. And the last place I want you in your current state is wandering the streets of Sternbild alone at night." She ran a hand through her hair before gesturing. "Look, you don't have to take time off if you don't want to, but you should at least talk to someone about what's going on. It doesn't have to be me, either. The company could arrange for a confidential meeting with a therapist, if you'd like."

Pao-Lin just made a face. "I'm not _crazy!_"

"I'm not saying you are. Even non-'crazy' people have to see therapists sometimes. But, fine — how about talking to one of the other Heroes, instead? Like Blue Rose. It's possible that she's having nightmares, too."

Somehow Pao-Lin doubted that. Karina was shining as bright as ever in her number two ranking, displaying a level of enthusiasm about her Hero job that Pao-Lin had never before seen from her. Far from being dragged down by nighttime specters, Karina seemed to be living the dream. It didn't seem right to intrude on that with her own childish problems. Besides, the idea of talking about her nightmares scared Pao-Lin almost as much as the nightmares themselves did. Talking about them meant acknowledging that they were real. And Pao-Lin couldn't face that, didn't _want_ to face that. So she just...wouldn't. Hell, maybe it'd make her stronger, weathering this storm on her own. She could deal with the nightmares if that were the case.

For now, though, Pao-Lin hoped to just forget about the entire ordeal by spending time with Hubert that wasn't over the digital ether. As busy as the two of them had been lately, it'd been hard enough to manage even a decent IM conversation, never mind hanging out in person, and so she missed him and his calming presence dearly.

Of course, the first thing out of Hubert's mouth after he greeted her at the front door of the Lhant abode was: "Is everything okay? You, um, didn't seem yourself today..."

Pao-Lin grumbled and shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it. Sorry." She smiled to soften her snappish tone. "I hope you didn't start playing _Graceful Tales _without me."

As tired as she was, Pao-Lin was content to let Hubert take the controls for the new video game he'd just picked up. She sat on his bed, leaning back against the wall and clutching a pillow to her chest as she watched him play. It was certainly an entertaining spectacle even without Hubert's indignant sputterings over how the new installment reconfigured battle mode and other such minutiae, but that wasn't enough to save her from her demons. Pao-Lin's fatigue dragged her closer and closer to the edge of sleep, steady as a death march, until finally it kicked her over into a pit of terrible, horrid things.

T-&-G-T-&-G-T-&-G

_Red spiked walls._

_Collar around her neck._

_TV screen hanging from the ceiling._

_All of this is practically routine by now in these dreams._

_But instead of fading with the familiarity, her fear and despair have only grown stronger through the repetitions._

_"Come on," Rotwang sneers. "Push the button. Save yourself."_

_It's a lie. Pao-Lin knows this by now._

_Yet her hand moves on its own, reaching up to her collar._

_"No!" She grabs her arm to halt its deadly path. But it's taking quite a bit of effort to keep the arm still, never mind pushing it back._

_She throws herself down to the ground instead, trying to weigh down the wayward arm with her own body. That doesn't work as well as she'd hoped, either: her arm twists and twitches and swerves violently to escape its bind. She's basically arm wrestling with herself, and if this entire situation wasn't so horrific Pao-Lin might be laughing at the ridiculousness of it all._

_"Ah, be careful, Dragon Kid." Rotwang has morphed into Blue Rose, but she's speaking with Wild Tiger's voice. "Don't lose the hairpin your parents got for you. It means they're thinking of you from afar..."_

_Pao-Lin grits her teeth, her skin slick with sweat from her struggles._

_In the periphery of her vision, she takes notice of the rows of spikes jutting out of the ground nearby._

_"..."_

_She drags herself upright._

_Positions her hand over one of the spikes._

_And drops forward, impaling herself through her palm._

_Her screams of pain echo into forever, almost drowning out the soft voice calling her name —_

_"Pao-Lin? Pao-Lin, h-hey!"_

T-&-G-T-&-G-T-&-G

Pao-Lin's eyes flew open.

Her body went deathly still as she tried to process where she was.

Hubert gazed back at her as he knelt on the bed, his own eyes wide with worry. He had a hand clamped onto her arm from when he'd been trying to shake her awake.

"Pao-Lin..." he started.

She took a breath to tell him she was fine —

— and broke down sobbing instead.

Instantly, Hubert threw his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

But the warmth and comfort brought by the gesture only melted away the last of her defenses, allowing the tears to flow even more violently than before. With her head bowed and her face buried in her hands, Pao-Lin leaned into Hubert, wanting nothing more than to just disappear.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Even her best friend wasn't supposed to find out about this. Or maybe it was _because_ he was her best friend that she hadn't ever wanted him to know. Pao-Lin didn't want to worry Hubert unnecessarily, especially given his anxious personality. She had to be strong for him, and for everyone else who believed in her. She couldn't let them down like this.

"What's wrong?" Hubert asked once the worst of the sobbing subsided. "What happened?"

Pao-Lin just shook her head, sniffling. "It's nothing — "

"It's _not_ nothing!" he protested. "Something that upsets you this much can't be 'nothing'!"

"It's just a s-stupid thing." She closed her eyes briefly. "I'll get over it. So d-don't worry."

"I'll worry anyway. You know I will." A soft laugh. "It's practically my job."

"...it's not a job if you're g-getting paid for it."

"But I _am_ getting paid, sort of. With your friendship. O-or something."

Pao-Lin couldn't help it — she snorted. "You're such a sap."

He grumbled good-naturedly. "But I mean it. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you." He sighed. "And that's why I want to help you. So please...tell me what's wrong."

It took a full minute before Pao-Lin relented. "...I've been having nightmares the past few weeks," she admitted.

"Nightmares?"

"From when we had to find Maverick."

"Really?" Hubert sounded surprised. "Were things really that bad? I mean, I know you had to fight those battle androids, but..."

"There were some things HeroTV didn't want us talking about. It wouldn't make the Heroes look good." Her voice lowered. "Th-they didn't want us to say anything about...about what Rotwang did to us. Before we found Maverick."

"Rotwang...he was that mad scientist guy, right?"

A nod. "He...he locked us up in separate rooms and put explosive collars on us. Said that we could push the button on the collar to save ourselves...but if one person pushed it, the other collars would explode.." Pao-Lin stared blankly at the TV screen across from her, which was blinking a Pause message. "He was lying, though. If one of us pushed the button, _all_ the collars would've gone off. We c-couldn't use our powers to destroy the collars, either, because otherwise Rotwang would have just set them all off himself..."

"That's _terrible!"_ Hubert exclaimed in horror. "No wonder you've been having nightmares!"

"But that was almost two months ago!" Pao-Lin wailed, feeling the tears spring to her eyes again. "Why am I getting nightmares about it _now?_"

"Well...nightmares can happen if there's something that's really bothering you during the day, or over a long period of time. Maybe you were just too busy to think about things too hard until now."

Too busy to have nightmares? Pao-Lin supposed it was possible. Agnes and Lloyds had opted to keep HeroTV active in the wake of the Maverick controversy, despite protests from many, and so Dragon Kid and the other Heroes had gone straight from being victims to being Heroes again without a break in between. They'd been required to do countless media appearances as well, in order to publicly affirm their commitment to protecting the citizenry of Sternbild. It was tiring, but the wave of victorious euphoria that sprang from the fall of Albert Maverick carried them through.

But all too soon, the elation had faded into mundanity, and Pao-Lin regained enough mental currency to (rather unwisely) spend on thinking about the awful events preceding that moment of triumph. She didn't know why it was bothering her so much right now. Of course it had been a terrible ordeal, but...it was all over with now, wasn't it? Maverick and Rotwang were both gone for good, and although Kotetsu and Barnaby had left HeroTV, at least all the Heroes had survived. That story was done with; it was time to move on.

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" Hubert asked.

"N-not really. Well, Natasha knows, but only because I woke her up one night when I started screaming. She tried to get me to take time off from HeroTV." A derisive snort. "Like _that's_ going to happen. I'm not gonna wuss out on everyone just because of a couple of bad dreams."

"Yeah, but...those 'bad dreams' are why you haven't been doing as well on HeroTV lately, aren't they?"

Pao-Lin cringed. "...is it really that bad?"

"Everyone on the forums was wondering about it. They're complaining that you're not as fun to watch anymore. N-not that _I'm_ complaining!" he hastily added. "I mean, I love watching you do your kung fu stuff as much as any of your other fans. But mostly I'm just glad that you're helping to protect the city."

She nodded. She knew he'd understand. "That's what's important to me, too."

"But you can't do that if you're distracted by your problems! If you're not going to take a break from HeroTV, then you should talk to someone about your nightmares. You...you should've talked to _me_ about them."

Or not. "I already told you, I didn't want to worry you," she said with a frown. "I know you have a lot going on already with your problems at school everything. I just didn't want to add to that, that's all."

There was a tense silence.

"You didn't think I could handle it." Hubert's tone was alarmingly accusatory. "Is that it?"

She blinked up at him. "What? No, that's not what I — "

"That's not fair, Pao-Lin!" Hubert clutched her uncomfortably tight, and his voice trembled as he spoke. "We're friends, aren't we? You can tell me anything, you _know_ you can! I know I'm not the strongest person out there, but...I'm strong enough to at least _listen_ to you!" He gulped. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of _course_ I do."

"Then please...you have to let me know when something's bothering you like this. I hate that you've been suffering all this time and I didn't have a single clue about it. It makes me feel like a terrible friend — like I should've noticed what was wrong but didn't because I was too self-centered or something."

"You're not self-centered," Pao-Lin said firmly.

"But you're making me feel like I am." A sigh. "You should've at least talked to _someone_, even if it wasn't me. Maybe then things wouldn't be bothering you to the point of having nightmares."

It was the same advice Natasha had been giving her all along. But hearing it from Hubert, especially in light of realizing that she'd ended up hurting him with her silence when she'd only meant to spare him pain, gave it a different sort of authority...and a more effective one.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, sniffling again and rubbing at her eyes. "I didn't mean to...I didn't know..."

"I know you didn't. You were just trying to do what you thought was best, even if it hurt you. That's why you're such a good Hero." Hubert pulled away and smiled gently. "But you don't have to be a Hero for me, okay?"

She pouted at him. "You're my friend. Why _wouldn't_ I be a Hero for you?"

"Because that's your day job. You need to have non-Hero time, too — to relax so you won't burn out." He straightened up then. "So please...let me be strong for you sometimes, so you can be strong for others."

Well, with such an adorably determined look on his face, how could Pao-Lin say no? Not to mention that it sounded like a sensible enough suggestion. "Okay."

Hubert relaxed. "Good." He reached out to hug her again, but awkwardly stopped himself for some reason. Instead, he scratched the back of his neck as he asked: "Um...are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. I am." Much better than she had at any given point in the past few weeks. Everything seemed like it would be okay again, for once. She didn't know if the nightmares would return tonight, but...knowing that Hubert was there for her, knowing that he _knew_, she wasn't bothered by the idea anywhere near as much. "Thanks."

He nodded before picking up the controller he'd set aside on the bed and holding it out to her. "You want to try playing, then?" He simpered. "You might have better luck with this boss than me."

She tilted her head. "That doesn't seem right. You go up against a tough boss and then you let a total newbie try to handle it?" A slight smirk. "You're not doing a good job of this 'being strong' thing."

His cheeks turned pink. "That's not what I meant — !"

Pao-Lin laughed. "I know. I was just teasing you, silly." She took the controller, unpaused the game...and proceeded to utterly fail at saving her party from a game over.

Oh, well. At least it was the funnest game over she'd ever had.


End file.
